The Weinstein Co. Takes Sean Penn Drama 'This Must Be the Place' for North America

The film, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, debuted at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The Weinstein Co. has picked up North American rights to Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be the Place, starring Sean Penn, which debuted at this Cannes Film Festival.

Written by Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello, the movie, which was greeted with mixed reviews, stars Penn as a former rock star who joins forces with a Nazi hunter to find the man who tormented his father.

The film was produced by Nicola Giuliano and Francesca Cima for Indigo Film, Andrea Occhipinti for Lucky Red, and Medusa Film in co-production with ARP in France and Element Pictures in Ireland in association with Pathè International, Italian banking group Banca Intesa and the support of Eurimages and the Irish Film Board.

“Sorrentino is a true auteur. We were gripped by his film and are excited to share it with American audiences. Sean proves once again that he is one of the finest actors of our time,” TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said.

Sorrentino, whose previous films include Il Divo and The Consequences of Love, added, “I’m thrilled to be working with Harvey [Weinstein]. He has a very deep appreciation of the film and a clear vision for its release, and he loves to come to Rome.”

The deal was negotiated for TWC by COO David Glasser and senior vp of acquisitions and business affairs Michal Podell Steinberg and for the filmmakers by UTA Independent Film Group and attorney Iddo Arad from Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.